Best caliber for tree rats?

[thomasinaz]

When I used to hunt squirrels in the woods north of Rome NY, with my old AF buddy's we'd use 22 rifles. One guy from VA used a 12 gauge. I had a Ruger Security Six 357 that was amazingly accurate with my reload of a 158 grain LSWC over 6 grains of Unique. I took a few gray squirrels with it, through the chest, and it didn't ruin any meat and put them down quick. Those were some good tasting tree rats.....

 

[Mike McLellan]

Napalm !! That's the ticket.

 

[alwslate]

I like standard velocity 22 LR or 22 Short solids. I used to use 22
Short HPs but switched to solids after several failures of the HPs to
penetrate and make clean kills. On tough squirrels the Short HPs will
expand violently at rifle velocities and the front section of the bullet
can fragment causing nasty but shallow wounds and a wounded
squirrel that makes it to a nest or hole. Hate to wound an animal and
lose it but I don't see much point in shooting nests with a 22 or with
a shotgun either for that matter, but thats just me.

 

[WuzzFuzz]

.20 caliber has been my go-to caliber for tree rats for many years. My Sheridan Silver Streak has dispatched dozens of them thar yard varmints over the years. It sends a 14.3 grain projectile downrange at 675 FPS and knocks them fuzzy tails down quite handily.

Wow.I haven't seen one of those in over 50/60 years. Back when...It wasn't mine, (mine was a Benjamin .22 pump up). We used to go out at night possum and ...yes...skunk hunting...

You've got a real sweet heart there.

WuzzFuzz

 

[Qball]

Guess that this Swedish made "Squirrel gun" has taken a few.
7mm blackpowder.

 

[Rangerpat]

I got the same rifle as Smith357, it's a fun backyard plinker and squirrel gun; only problem is finding the .20 caliber pellets. I taught my son how to shoot a rifle with it when he was 8 years-old.

 

[woodsltc]

Whatever the GI Joe issue round is....you have to ask these guys.

Don

 

[Naples22]

Here's a little video of myself in my back yard handling my tree rat problem.
.50 cal machine gun 2 - YouTube

 

[Qball]

Here's a little video of myself in my back yard handling my tree rat problem.
.50 cal machine gun 2 - YouTube

Man.. that has to be some tree rats you have there.

are you sure its rats and not hippos?

 

[Old Corp]

.20 caliber has been my go-to caliber for tree rats for many years. My Sheridan Silver Streak has dispatched dozens of them thar yard varmints over the years. It sends a 14.3 grain projectile downrange at 675 FPS and knocks them fuzzy tails down quite handily.

Wow - don't see all that many 5mm Sheridans anymore.
I have a twin to this I received as a bday present when I was 14. I'm 56 now and she still shoots great.
I grew up on the edge of a suburban area with lots of woods behind my house. I was a squirrel hunt addict as a young'un.
I lost count of my take with the Sheridan somewhere around squirrel #145 or so..........
(also found that a backward-loaded pellet shot pretty well and expanded like a good HP)
Thanks for the pic!

 

[mjr]

(also found that a backward-loaded pellet shot pretty well and expanded like a good HP)

Heh. I think a lot of us probably did.

 

[Wee Hooker]

Here in Eastern MA, hunting with a .22 is illegal. ( Thought being we are too congested and even a .22 LR goes a long way.) If your talking powder burners, then it's hard to beet the 17M2. It's basically a necked down .22 stinger. Fast, destructive, accurate but loses energy at shotgun distances. Also legal.

If talking airguns, It's hard to beat a quality precharged Phumatic in .22. It can develop near twice the true ME of more the popular breakbarrels and still be whisper quiet and safe to neighbors.

 

[Andy Griffith]

This is a very timely news story relating to this thread!

I guess I'm going to have to revise my squirrel gun choices...

Especially when they try to attack me in my car!!!

No joke!

'Munchy' the squirrel takes bite out of SUV | Fox News Video

 

[ElmerKeith]

This thread is very interesting for me to read because in Germany squirrels are protected by law.
We only have the red squirrels around here which are excluded by AndyGriffith who startet this topic about the right gun/ammo combo for hunting them. Of course they vary in color from almost black to dark brown over light brown to almost red.

Are these mentioned US-based Eastern Grey Squirrels a problem for their evironment especially for other species of animals or is it just tradition to hunt them?

I wonder especially because you call them tree rats.

 

[Intheshop]

Elmer,can't speak for others but here it's about tradition....practice.....and table fare.

Like most on here have scored with just about everything,we even bowhunt them.But what I settled in with as a favorite combo....#14,loaded with homecast wadcutters,over a target load of W231.And for the runners(follow-up shots),and den trees....an old "minty" 1100 Rem .410.Also found that "camo" is more important squirrel hunting than almost any other game(Turkey's being one exception).

Good camo,good bark call,and an "X" ring #14 is right satisfying when it comes to real handgun hunting.

 

[weatherby]

This is my squirrel gun of choice an Anschutz woodchucker
glass is an old weaver 4X with fine crosshairs.
Crossman bb gun for size comparison

 

[Smitty8612]

My first firearm was a savage over\under 410/22. This is my ultimate squirrel gun. If leaves are really thick, i will take out the 12 guage. (i will pass up close shots so i dont turn it into ground meat)